AUGUSTA (AP) — An effort is under way to do away with Maine’s presidential caucuses and replace them with primaries.
Republican Senate President Kevin Raye has proposed a change in state law that would establish a Maine presidential primary one week after New Hampshire’s firstin the-nation presidential primary starting in 2016.
Raye tells Maine Today Media he proposed the change after this year’s controversial Republican caucus process.
The state GOP declared Mitt Romney the winner. But the party did a recount after members in Washington County complained they were excluded because a snowstorm had delayed their caucus.
Votes from other parts of the state were mistakenly left out of the count.
Romney still won.
Democratic Sen. John Patrick says the caucuses allow for lively debates that can’t happen in a voting booth.
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